Mystery on the Isle of Skye was not one of my favorite Whitney juvenile mysteries when I was a girl. In fact, if I'd ever read it before, reading a library copy now didn't recall any of it to my mind. Still, I enjoyed reading about that particular part of Scotland. (I had wondered why Ms. Whitney had chosen to visit and write about the Isle of Skye and the Clan MacLeod until I read the biographical section at the end and learned that some of her ancestors were from the Clan MacLeod of Skye.)

Cathy MacLeod is an orphan who has been reared by her paternal grandmother. Now Meg MacLeod, who was born in Skye, is in the hospital. A distant cousin of the dutiful variety is willing to take Cathy in. Thank goodness Cathy's maternal uncle, Jerry Corbin, and his family are willing to take Cathy along on their trip to Skye.

The mystery is hidden within some packages that Cathy's wise and thoughtful grandmother packed for her. It's a good thing, too, because big Uncle Jerry makes the shy girl nervous, while her cousin Don clearly doesn't want her around. Aunt Lila and Don's younger brother, 'Punch,' are much more welcoming.

The tasks Grandmother MacLeod set for Cathy allow her to make new friends and force her to experience things she might otherwise have avoided. Among the new friends are Morag Fraser and her older brother, Ranald, grandchildren of an old friend of Cathy's grandmother. The real-life Chief of the MacLeods of Skye at the time (1955) is a character within the pages. (Ms. Whitney had met her.) The various ceremonies, places, contests, and history were interesting.

It's true that I was only a baby when this book was first published, but I'm not going to dismiss it as 'dated'. Old books that were set in the period in which they were written are like reading historical novels without having to wonder if the author did his/her research properly (and no need to curl one's lip at anachronisms).

Two of my favorite scenes for character development were the ones in which Cathy finds out what her uncle really thinks of her and the one in which she fights her terror of heights to help her cousin Don. ( )